Memories

Martha Gregg Chase ’48 remembers her great pledge class. They kept in contact for many years.
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Jane Hanna Reeble ’50 recalls seven women living together in the big room on the third floor of the old house where the Booth Alumni Center is located today. “We had a lot of fun!”

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Mary Anna Wolf McClure ’49 shares when she married in 1950 her wedding reception was held in the chapter house at 1246 Oread. Members of her pledge class were in their formal gowns and were hostesses and two Alpha Chi sisters were bridesmaids.

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Sarah Morris Cox ’96 remembers good times at The Wheel, being a member of the Marching Jayhawks, and the house cook Mark’s bagels

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It’s almost impossible to select a single memory from 2.5 years spent at 1500 Sigma Nu Place. We were there in “interesting times”, so one memory is of several of us glued to a window watching the Union burn from afar (spring of ’70). Another, much lighter memory (that sounds excruciatingly dorky) was when Laura Stoll and I (same pledge class, roommates) and our pledge daughters Sara Vesper and Debbee Ebeling “dressed up” and went to the bowling alley for dinner. Coincidentally, Debbee (my daughter) and Laura had matching jumpers in some exotic animal print. The only thing Sara and I had in common were pale blue KU nightshirts and white shorts. This was, I should add, in the middle of winter! The four of us strolled into the bowling alley (off campus; can’t remember the name of it), bellied up to the counter, and sat down on swirling stools to order shrimp dinners w/ all the trimmings. We spoke to each other in fake foreign accents the entire time, and made up the most outrageous lies to tell our server. Afterwards, we laughed for hours! It was one of the most enjoyable nights of my life! One more: Got hungry for scrambled eggs about midnight. Sara and I drove to the HoJo’s out on the turnpike. I bragged I could eat a dozen eggs. She didn’t believe me. Neither did the cook. But I did it! Easily! — Kathy Collins Reilly ’69

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One memory that I’ll always cherish would be during Family Weekend at the beginning of my Freshman year. Each year, Alpha Chi Omega opens its doors to AXO families during this time for house tours and other activities for the new members. I was extremely excited to be an AXO and invited my family to the house.

My mom, who is also an Alpha Chi Omega from KU, and I were in the informal living room looking at a composite when all of a sudden we hear “Oh my God, Peggy Malley?” (Peggy Malley (now Collins) is my mom). Perplexed, we both turned around. My mom’s face lit up and she yelled “Oh my God, Carolyn Fee!” Before I knew it, my mom and Carolyn Fee were jumping up and down, hugging and screaming. I was completely confused. I saw my fellow pledge class member, Erin, behind Carolyn with the same look on her face. I’m sure we were both thinking “Mom, you’re totally embarrassing me in front of my new sisters.” It turned out that my mom and Carolyn were in the same pledge class in Alpha Chi at KU in the late 70s. It just so happened that their daughters ended up being in the same pledge class years later.

The two were connected at the hip for the remainder of the day. During the house tours, my mom and Carolyn often veered off into areas of the house that Erin and I had yet to discover while retelling some of their AXO stories. Since then, Erin and I have become best friends with our own AXO stories to tell. We often joke that we will have girls at the same time so they can be future AXO sisters.

I always love telling this story. It makes me so happy to share this connection with not only my mom, but other AXO sisters. — Samantha Collins ’07

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Hanging out with my friends at the house. – Sharon Longeran Berglund ’76

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Christmas Formal 1981- we crashed the party next door at the hotel and danced to

1940’s swing music. – Susan Spencer Catt ’82

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Rush Week – I loved meeting all the young ladies going through rush and welcoming

new sisters into the AXO family. – Jane Stiegemeier Fee ’77

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During initiation I was holding my candle in front of me and my dear friend standing in

front of me got burned from my candle. We noticed something smelling and it took a

few seconds to figure out it was her hair. – Eva Kasmar Foster ’68

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1. Making lifelong friendships (a group of us have had yearly reunions for over 30 years

on the desk! Meeting my husband, Cliff Jeffries, when we went caroling the the NROTC.

He met me at the NROTC sponsored party at the Dynamite – I didn’t go to any of the practices –

I figured I knew all the songs, but who skips a party! We’ve been married 48 ears and have 3 children.

One, an AXO from University of Southern California’s Epsilon Chapter. I got to put her pin on.

– Sujean Classen Jeffries ’68

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The Oread House. – Betty Heitmann Piper ’37

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Singing our AX songs, having to go to mandatory study halls, blot’s but the bread was soft, not toasted, steak and beans dinner for grades; Aunt Merle and watching Ben Casey in her suite, pizza on nights with no dinner were served; wearing hose to dinner; pnnings with fraternities, especially mine was fun; Rock Chalk Review…I was the witch in Dark at the Top of the Tower; we were with the Phi Delts; Greek Week; our altruistic projects: getting a better room each year because of seniority; and much much more.

Meeting my husband Lee (Delta Chi)…blind date via Jerry Andre (Delta Chi) and Gail Suhrbrier, my sorority sister. Lee and I have been married 51 years now and we are living in Akron, OH and I am attending our Phi reunion… Can’t wait to see all those familiar faces!!! Give the grip and of course Phi hugs. – Mary Challinor Cole ’61

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….and some memories are better left as memories. – Janet Graybill Domyon ’68

Receiving permission from the dean to wear pants when the temperature got to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, dressing for dinner in school clothes, and the buzzer always going off. – Virginia Bliesner Colburn ’64

Meeting the women who would become my bridesmaids, playing Super Mario Brothers until late into the night, and piling on the futon to watch The Bachelor and Sex and the City. – Julie Bunn Pine ’00

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Having two national presidents visit the chapter while I was chapter president and the Lambda Chi men running through the house in celebration of men’s basketball making it to the 2003 Final Four. – Anna Clovis Ritchie ’01